Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sarawak Pressmen tail 'Change' prospects

Independent assemblyman avoids pressmen hoping to get him to confirm his joining PKR

KUCHING: Independent Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong was yesterday avoiding pressmen who were trying to get him to say something about his reported liaison with PKR.

Adit was quoted in a national daily as saying: “I don’t want to confirm or deny it (joining PKR) but you’re invited to our dinner in Sibu on Nov 15. I can’t make any announcement today because I want the ‘Boss’ to be the first to hear it.”

Adit who was speaking to The New Straits Times also said: “Anwar (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) will attend the dinner. We’ve invited our friends from DAP and PAS as well and some of them have confirmed attendance.”

The dinner referred to is one that is being organised by the opposition front slated for this Saturday in Sibu and which they called dinner with ‘Friends of PKR’.

Reporters hoping to get the proverbial words from the horse’s mouth yesterday, however, could not get an elusive Adit to confirm the New Straits Times report.

The reporters then turned to Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa who promptly dismissed the possibility that he (Dr Rayong) would join PKR because he “is still hopeful about joining BN”.

He said his constituency was still in need of development and believed this could only be remedied through the BN.

“I support all of BN’s bills, the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s leadership and the politics of development,” he told reporters at the sideline of the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

Dr Rayong refused to comment in regards to Adit’s purported plan tojoin PKR, saying that it was the latter’s political rights.

He said on his part he still hoped that SUPP would absorb him, having sent in his application to join the oldest party in May last year.

He said he had met with SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan several times on this and “things looked promising”.

He also reminded that he was never a SNAP member even though he stood on a SNAP ticket in the last state election.

“We welcome anyone who wants change and subscribes to our struggle and politicalbelief,” he said.

He said this Saturday’s dinner would be marking a “significant swing and shift towards PKR in the rural areas” and he believed that many Dayak leaders would join the party.

“We have not officially received their membership but many Dayak leaders will join PKR on Nov 15 We expect thousands of people to join PKR,” he said.

He said Monday’s demonstration staged by some non-governmental organisations concerning native customary rights land was also an encouragement to the party.“They believe PKR will bring change to Sarawak,” he said.

Ng who is Padungan assemblyman said the party was confident that Sarawak would be the next state to be taken over by opposition party after the five states in Peninsular Malaysia.

He conceded that it would be challenging for the party to overturn BN because Sarawak was one of BN’s bastions.